Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-05
A HOLOCAUST.
Frightful and Fatal Rail-
road Collision.
CONDUCTOR TO BLAME.
Many People Killed and Burned.
Narrowing Details Of the
Sad Affair.


road, at an early hour this morning
collided with an east bound freigh,
train. Nineteen bodies have been taker
from the wreck. More are injured
Three cars were burned. Physicians
have gone to the scene from here. The
weather is very cold, the thermometer
showing three degrees below zero. The
fast train was about fifty minutes late
and was running at the rate of sixty
miles an hour. Passing Republic, .
small station, like . flash, it rushed
along to q curve one milo west Of town,
when suddenly the engineer saw a
freight train under full headway within
one hundred yards of him. He at once
applied the brake and reversed his en-.
gine. but it did no good, and the next
instant . crash came, telescoping the
coaches and piling them upon each 9th
or. To add to the CONSERVATION of the
horrible scene, FIRE broke out in the
smoking car and soon spread to the
other cars. Many were killed o atright,
while others were wedged in among the
broken cars. Slowly the cars were con.
sumed by flames. 1t is impossible to
give the names of the killed or wounded
at this time.
One of the passengers of the ill.fated
train says the engineer and fireman Of
the freight leaped and saved themselves
before the collision. The engineer of
the express bad a leg broken and sus.
tanned severe wound on the shoulder.
His fireman was caught between the
engine and tender and died in q few min.
utes. The uniDjured passengers and
residents of the neighborhood set to
work to aid the wounded passengers in
the burning cars, rescuing all who
could be reached. The baggageman of
the express was thrown through the
roof of the Car, escaping with broken
leg. The express messenger, who was
sitting beside him was killed instantly.
No one in the sleepers was injured in
the least. Among the passengers in the
sleeper were Mrs. Fish, of Joliet, Ills,
sister Of General Logan, and her son
In the confusion of the wreck
q hot dispute arose among the train
men as to the responsibility for
the disaster. 1t appeared that the
freight was running on the time
of the express. The engineer was heard
to remark that he had left the last siding
with only thirty pounds of steam, and
on the up grade east Of Tifin his engine
went back on him and the train stalled.
No danger signals were sent out, and
the express running At full speed down
grade and around the curve had no
warning of the impending disaster un-
til an instant before the collision. The
total number of passengers on the
wrecked train was sixty-five. Ten dead
bodies have been taken out and thirteen
are believed to be in the ruins. The
names of the dead Is far as identified
are as follows: F. C. Bartley, Washing.
ton; VIM. Frederick, Washington. fire.
man of the express; Jos. Osterman and
two sons, Martipsburg, w. Va; Mrs.
Osterman and two other children were
saved. The smoker was entirely con.
sumed and oil of the passengers in it
killed. All of the mail and express
matter was destroyed.
The charred remains of the express
consisted simply of two thigh
bones, which were found in the debris
of the car. The engineer and fireman
of the freight reversed their engine and
jumped for snow bank. The engineer
Of the express reversed his engine and
sprang to the left, the fireman endea.
vored to get out to the right but being
overcome with fright fell close to his
crushed engine and was badly burned,
but not beyond recognition. His body
has been placed in q neat casket and is
now at the undertakers at Republic,
awaiting the arrival OF his relatives.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
CLENEIAND, January "A special
dispatch to the Leader from Tiffin,
Ohio, gives the following graphic 40.
count Of the collision: One of the most
and heart rending accidents
ever chronicled occurred near Republic,
about eight miles east of here at two
o'clock this morning. At one O'Clock
an east.bound freight train, in charge of
Conductor1 Fletcher, pulled out of this
city, having received orders to side.
track at Scipio siding to allow the east.
bound express to pass. After the pas.
seuger train had gone, the conductor
being without special orders, exercised
his own judgment and determined that,
inasmuch as he had half an hour to
make the switch at Republic, little less
than five miles distant, before the arriv.
al of the fast express from the East, due
at that point at two o'clock, he pulled
out. The night was bitter .cold and
much difficulty was experienced in keep
ing up steam in the engine. Finally at
q point half mile west of Republic tho
train came to q standstill, being unable
to move further. Just here was made
the horrible mistake which resulted in
the loss of many lives and the destruc.
tion of thousands of dollars worth Of
property. Although the conductor must
have known that he was encroaching
dangerously near the time of the express,
he did not send out signal until after
his train had cOme to standstill aud be
found it impossible to move further, he
then started forward with o lantern him.
self. At this point there is . sharp
curve, and conductor Fletcher had not
proceeded more than the length of twen-
ty cars when he saw the headlight
Of the approaching express round
ing the curve not more than forty
rods distance and running at the light
ming speed Of sixty.three miles an hour.
Horror stricken with the knowledge
that frightful accident could not be
avoided, he flashed his light in the face
of Engineer Lem Eastman. The latter,
at this same moment saw the lights OF
the freight engine. and giving wild
shrek Of the whistle for brakes, he re-
versed his engine and jumped for his
life, crashing through the window Of
the cab, carrying the glass and sash with
him and alighted in heavy snow drift.
He escaped serious injury, his hurts be,
ing confined to slight wound upon the
knee. As he realized his danger he
called to his fireman, William Freder-
icks, to save himself. The latter was
engaged In stoking the fire and raised up
and hesitatod = moment TO glance for